TAIZE

   There's a place where a stranger may greet another
   Amiably like a long lost friend or a brother.
   In Taize, France kindred souls annually gather;
   Zealous Christ worshippers perceive in each other
   Ever bright the Loving Light of God, Our Father...

NATIVITY

                 Nativity, to God, is His Sacrifice!
                 Ask a gnostic and he'll reply in this wise:-
                 The Master has deigned to stoop to our level;
                  Is that a good reason for us to revel?
                 Vain would be all our Christmas merrymaking,
                  If His commandments we keep on forsaking.
                  To be led away from savagery and wrath,
                  You and I must take His steep but righteous path...

ADVERSITY

                    Act neither too gleeful nor too morose,
                    Do not appear too wise nor bellicose.
                    Veil all your worries with a semi-smile;
                    Envy not Santa with his pudgy flair,
                    Respect all sales clerks, crude rude gets vile bile.
                    Stop building palaces out of thin air...
                    It is time to face the nitty gritty:--
                    The nights are cold, the Christmas lights pretty,
                    Yuletide Greetings! (I'm running on empty...)

INDOLENCE

       If God sees fit to banish Satan from our Earth,
       No need for anyone to strive to prove his worth.
       Demons are per se also indestructible;
       Ousting them from here may be impracticable.
       Like Lucifer, an untested human soul may
       Elevate himself-- and then fall--to his dismay.
       Nonetheless, Man, the Explorer and Truth-Seeker
       Cannot live like a contented cow forever;
       Expect him to search for new worlds to discover!

TRANQUILLITY

       This is a way how you, if ill, your self may heal:--
       Regard your mind as part of our Lord's firmament;
       Ask God for help and He will answer your appeal.
       Notwithstanding doubt, His Healing Light will be sent...
       Quivering multicolored shafts will emanate
       Unbidden from a tiny pinpoint in your head!
       It is best for you to focus and concentrate;
       Leave other concerns if you can, but you must dare.
       Let nothing distract you, for those shafts must be led
       Into that part of your corpus that needs repair.
       The healing will be quick if at peace in your bed.
       You should thank God for you are ever in His care!

RIGHT OF WAY

      Right of way tips while on a mountain trail:--
      If you are male, first let the females pass;
      Give way to both crone and that pretty lass.
      Halt also for the farmhand with his bale,
      Then wish him good day as he passes by...
      On foggy mornings or evenings, watch out
      For blind curves!  If you don't know how to fly,
     Walk close to the mountainside.  When in doubt,
      Ask God for help so He will be your Guide.
      You will be safe with the Lord at your side.

WHETSTONE

              Withstanding Satan's siren snares may seem so hard;
               He never plays fair, he holds a wild Joker card...
               Enticed to try your luck? You'll get pies in the sky!
               Trials, tears, and tribulation are always nigh...
               Stick it out, though, and continue wrestling with him;
               The ultimate outcome for him will be most grim.
               Over and over he will bait, lure, and deceive;
               No way he could win, he's The Loser!  Do believe
               Each 'No' you swipe at him is a 'Win' you achieve!
         

HAPPINESS

            Happy is the farmer who plows his furrows straight,
            Also his carabao with cud to masticate.
            Post meridiem with the moonlight at half past nine--
            Plowing is like playing; now he goes home to dine...
            I should be like him--always with his world in tune;
           No need to work under a hot sun, for the moon
           Every so often does provide its gentler boon.
           So, strive on; make perfect your own labor of love;
           Shirk not from your work.  Reward comes from Heav'n above.
           
   

JESUS CHRIST

   Jesus, by his resurrection, demonstrated
   Extirpation of the soul divine is futile,
   So follow His example, His simple life style...
   Underdogs in this world will be vindicated;
   Serve as best you can, humbly, with a low profile.

   Cast  neither curses nor stones against the sinner;
   Hold no self-destructive anger within your heart.
   Rise up if you slip or fall, and make a new start...
   If you forgive your foes, you will be the winner;
   Stay that wrathful fist and sheath your avenging sword:-
   The Lord's Vengeance is His alone, you have His Word! 

A Scattering of TYs at Thanksgiving

       Thanks to the Lord, mankind has thrived this long;
       Humans now number seven billion strong,
       And the seven billionth is a Pinay-
       Named Danica Mae, a healthy Inday!
       Knowledge and skills (not Wisdom) have increased;
       Sadly, wars and cruelty have not ceased.
       God, Thanks for Your Bounty, Your Wondrous Gifts,
       In spite of our frailties and bloody rifts...
      Viruses and contagion at the mall..?
       I might as well make a safe seaside call;
      Now, by the sea, I'm as hale as a whale.
      God, Thank You for Your fresh air I inhale!

      
                                         

Time to Re-focus

   Every human being is like a battleground.  There is a never-ending conflict between the forces of good and evil in each of us. Every individual has the will to choose between these two opposing forces. The babe-in-the-woods, the uneducated may sometimes be excused for their naivete. But we have many knowledgeable, powerful, and wealthy brethren who continue to pursue goals totally self-serving but clearly fraught with harmful, cruel, evil consequences not only to their neighbors but to their own selves and their kin.
Oft their motivations are superficial, morally unjustifiable, i.e.more money, more material possessions, more power, ostentation, all of which have no lasting spiritual value.
      I recall a behest by our Holy Father some months ago. It was not something about the possible collapse of the global economy, which is today's primary topic of the media. Rather, it was about the world's apparent
lack of interest in man's 'unworldly' but more precious possession--his immortal soul. Have we forgotten there is an on-going battle for that 'commodity'?
      Time to re-focus, ladies and gentlemen.

Go Back To God

     Go back, old dog, and do a catalog
     Of your past faults and tragicomedies;
     Best to admit your human maladies
     And pray you won't be stranded in Magog.
     Contrition and a firm resolve should bring
     Kind souls to help you escape from the bog.
     Time, that impatient Bird, is on the wing;
     Only a fool would go on following
     Greed and/or the other deadly pursuits...
     Old dog, avoid the Trickster and his brutes;
     Dare not with the Devil be in cahoots...

TERRORISTS

            Treacherous, traitorous human beings,
            Evil-indoctrinated mad hirelings,
            Rogues filled with hate keep fomenting unrest;
            Rabid beasts crazed by misinterpreters
            Of their Great Prophet's dictated letters
            Rule out any hope for peace with the West...
            I still believe there must be some righteous
            Souls in that part of infiirma terra.
            To them I plead:- Restrain the impious;
            Shalom-Islam...or end like Gomorrah!

A HUMAN ERROR

     A wise man told me, "Prophets lie;
    "Huge untruths never seem to die.
     Undoubtedly, you too will doubt
     Man, on God's sixth day, came about...
     A better story has been found
     Not from parchment but from the ground."
     Eventually Truth will prevail,
     Reason rejects the Bible tale;
     Religion is unreligious,
     Omnibus then must be falsus?
     Remember, God is still in us!

A 5-line Prayer for Fr. Guido

            Give him more Shafts to hurl against the unbelieving mind;
            Uplift the spirits of his grieving friends he left behind.
            It was his fervent wish his writings would put hearts on fire,
            Despite your messenger's exeunt from Planet Earth entire...
            O Lord, grant him his pray'r:--May he continue to inspire!



         (Fr. Guido Arguelles,S.J., Shafts of Light author
             died October 30th, 2011.)

HOODWINKED

        Here is another tale about a clever fox,
        Out south at the border where the drug cartel mocks
        Our law enforcement agents with 'fast and furious'
        Deals that make many honest citizens curious:--
        Why get involved in trading weaponry for drugs?
         Is it not pure folly to be dealing with thugs?
        Now the enemy will with our own arms shoot us!
        Knaves will always try to outwit the incautious...
        Every botched strategem has a lesson to teach:--
        Do not try to outfox a fox. Stay out of reach!

A POLITICIAN'S FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

         The debates among the Republican candidates for Presidential
 nomination reveal the different views, temperaments, personalities,
 character, individual idiosyncracies, perspectives,their religious
beliefs, educational backgrounds, even their respective intuitive and
 combative faculties (if any), as the TV audience may have noted.
Heated controversies usually give rise to diverse aggrupations of
 followers who become more and more inflexible,
 unless the contenders come to realize their goal is the election
of the nation's next President, not merely the Republican nomination
 for that post.
         I recall an old politician's formula for his success as Senator
 for successive terms in the Philippine Senate:- Per Amang Rodriguez,
 "Politics is addition, not subtraction nor division."  The clever
 politician never denigrates, deprecates. nor scoffs at those who
 disagree with him. True, without near fisticuffs, insults or censorable
 verbiage, debates and campaigns would be very uninteresting,
 boring indeed. Here in the United States, dissent among the political
 contenders and their followers is also rife and quite heated. However,
 he who can bring under his wing the greatest number of voters
 (no matter from what camp, religious, racial, or age group a voter
 may have come from) will win the elections.

AUSTERITY (Memo for Uncle Sam)

               Another 'stimulus' is being planned for you;
               Upcoming deficits may soon be due,
               So money, money must be printed now,
               Tons of  'dead presidents' you'll need, and how!
               Except that future generations may
               Rue our extravagance displayed today.
               Is it not wiser that we tighten belts?
              The nation's rating, like an iceberg, melts...
              You've just been downgraded to double A!

ARTISTRY

                  A spare man brought out his new ipod with a smile,
                  Revealing all the functions his device could do...
                  The gadget outdistanced its rivals by a mile;
                  Innovation by Steve Jobs has again come thru!
                  So young lads and ladies, be not afraid nor cowed,
                  Think 'outside the box' and dare to try something new.
                  Roll up your sleeves like Steve;  see what God has bestowed.
                  You, too, can make our Creator/Programmer proud!     


 
           

SURMISE I & II

      Some tragic events inspire people to surmise,
      Unduly expatiating occurrences,
      Recklessly retelling some person's demise
     More palatable to the media's audiences.
      I have read conflicting reports on Gadhafi,
     Supposedly like a dog begging for mercy--
     Except that there are stories of conspiracy...!    



   (Query:  His captors could have easily killed him with
      their weapons; why did they go to the trouble of shooting
      him with his own 'golden' gun,,.or was it Gadhafi's 
      bodyguard who shot him?)



       Some government leaders may have information--
       Unanticipated global devastation
       Really could occur by December, 2012.
      Mayhap that prophesied event would also solve,
       Indeed all nations' huge debts- totally absolve.
       So sorry if our Earth becomes a burnt hors d'oeuvre;
       Extirpation may be what many fools deserve.
      

     (''...many fools"--like us, of course.  And perhaps, that Mayan
       doomsday event would make Uncle Sam's
       15 trillion USD debt uncollectible.)  
 

No Saint

                  Delving again into the subatomic world where a mere drop of human blood contains trillions of various kinds of quanta, it would seem that our skin cannot totally prevent these subatomic particles from  escaping out of our bodies. Furthermore, some people have the ability to sense or perceive the energy of these quanta. Healers feel or detect the difference between an ailing person and one who is hale and untroubled, The aura of the sick person is faint, hardly detectable, while the latter has a brightly shining, radiating, maybe even corruscating or oscillating bursts of energy around him. Halos on or around the heads of saints might be because the keener 'sight' of the painters do see (or did see) these luminescent phenomena crowning these holy personages' heads.
                 I just looked at the mirrror to check. No halo there that I could see. But then, I am no saint...

Various 'Centric' Perceptions

         Cosmic perceptions vary, as note:-
The Early Church was geocentric,
Copernicus and Galileo heliocentric,
Most infants 'matercentric',
Modern man usually anthropocentric,
Some scientists imagine the multiverse
       like onion rings--concentric,
Poets & philosophers are eccentric,
Then as we age, we become 'Deicentric'...

     (And God be with you, too.)

Hone Your Skills

                Have you a special skill that few can do,
                Or a unique talent that God gave you?
                No need to waste the gifts He has given;
                Endeavor to use them to enliven
                Your family and friends, your neighbors, too;
                Out from its hiding place the secret brew,
                Uncork that bottle of wine within you!
                Rare treasures bestowed to the gifted few
                Should be shown and shared, not hidden from view.
                Know that capacities rust, if unused;
                Immobile limbs and joints soon become fused.
                Let patient practice reach dexterity,
                Love your labor and rise to artistry;
                Share God's gifts gladly--with humility.
              

INTERFAITH

                It is now time for differing faiths to agree
             ( No matter by what name we call the Almighty)
                That there is but One First Cause, One God for us all.
                Earth, man's home in God's vast cosmos, is indeed small;
                Reason, therefore, should among all nations govern.
                For mere land strips, shall we let the whole planet burn?
                Allah, Jehovah, Bathala, Our Creator
                Is no race or religion Discriminator...
               Then why has not the Dove of Peace our world adorned?
              "Heav'n hath no greater sorrow than Tolerance scorned!"

A Human Soul

                              A gnostic claims his soul will never die,
                              He says he is immortal; he does not lie.
                              Using science-fact, it can't be denied
                              Man as matter-energy has defied
                              A total dissolution of being.
                              Non-local quanta cannot be 'nothing'.
                              So even if we cannot find or measure
                              Our vaunted soul, our invisible treasure
                              Undisputably links us to God's dimension...
                              Let us act with care lest there be link malfunction.
                           

MYSTERY

            Mind over matter seems improbable;
            Yet I myself have had experiences
            Somehow proving the unbelievable,
            Though some would maintain odd occurrences
            Explainable as coincidences.
            Recall how I just 'thought' I'd pass the Bar..?
            You, too, can move the Rock of Gibraltar!

Arran aka Orion

My Uncle Zaling's* version of the Orion myth is as follows: Arran was a giant or titan whose obsession was chasing after beautiful maidens. One moonlit night he chanced upon a nymph taking a bath by the river. Arran attempted to serenade the maiden but he was not a good singer. The nymph instead took flight, and Arran promptly chased after her. It seems both had magical powers for the nymph flew up to the firmament where you can still see her with her sisters in constellation Pleiades. Arran also got stuck in the sky, and he is now known as Orion. The imprint of Orion's feet can be seen in the map of South East Asia. Before he jumped to the sky, his right foot struck La Union in the northern province of Luzon while his left the island of Formosa. Perhaps, the young stalwarts of northern Luzon owe their main pre-occupation (chasing lovely ladies) to the footprint left by Arran aka Orion.

*Uncle Zaling is Rizalino de Peralta, USAFFE veteran, a survivor of the Death March. He was awarded the Purple Heart for the wounds he suffered from a grenade thrown after him as he rolled down a steep slope in making his escape from the Death March to Capas.

(Below was my adieu to To Uncle Zaling in acrostic):-
Return, Uncle, to our Maker's Heavenly Place;
It has been, for you, a rather long pilgrimage.
Zones of war and bomb blasts shall have no more menace.
At last you are free from you shrapnel-tortured cage...
Leave all frightful mem'ries of bloody battles fought.
In our Lord God have trust - for better or for worse.
Note that you may now travel with the speed of thought.
Off to Orion--Explore God's vast universe!

Deign to whisper in our dreams your timely advice;
Excuse us mortals but we'll miss you now and then.

Pray that we'll be safe, healthy, and a bit more wise...
Eventually, altho' we know not how nor when,
Rivulets will reach the Ocean, so we shall meet
Again! There amongst an angelic gathering
Loved ones with and you and I shall one another greet,
Thanking as well our Lord God with much rejoicing
As we live on in bliss with His Love unceasing!

Note to a Poker Player

            There are all kinds of players in a poker game.  Some have very few chips, while others have a lot. Nations involved in the game of international affairs are like poker players.  It would seem that those holding high cards (like aces/exotic weaponry) are still playing politesse. But there are moments  when being overly cautious is no longer timely nor the right thing to do. You know you have a strong hand. Uncle Sam, call the bluffer's bluff.  Show your winning hand!

VOX POPULI ( A Prophetic Acrostic)

                  Voicing their protests in anger,
                  Old pensioners could not believe
                 'Xanado' is gone forever.
                  Previously pampered, they now grieve
                  Outside government offices
                  Pleading and screaming in tumult;
                  Unfulfilled pension promises
                  Push the elderly to revolt.
                 "In hoc (vox populi), vinces."

            (Injustice to the old and dying is an incurable injury.!)

STRAY SHEEP

              Sometimes I stray to see if yonder fields
              Truly offer greener, tastier yields;
              Regretfully, up close I find them bare,
              A locust swarm has already been there.
              You, too, from the beaten path may wander--
              So many conflicting views to ponder...
              How self-centered was your first perspective?
              Expand your vision, be world sensitive;
              Explore the whole Cosmos and you will find
              Pure Spirit, God Himself, inside your mind!

(There are varying levels of perspectives:- infantile,
  parental, familial, tribal, national, global, cosmic, etc.
  One who has sensed that he is indeed part of God's Cosmos
  can not for long be a 'stray sheep'.)

Propensity vs. Potentiality

          The word 'propensity'is often associated with something bad, while 'potentiality' more with what is good. In fact, that which triggers or activates either of these two capabilities is our 'will'. We choose to do it.
        Unfortunately, human will is also influenced by other factors, i.e., our survival instinct, hunger, envy, peer pride, lack of faith in a Just and Merciful God, sometimes pure bias, hate, superstition or ignorance There are many forks or branches that we could survey on Life's road. The path that offers the least resistance oftentimes is what we select to follow. We have propensities that, if given free rein, could make us worse than the Devil. Let us rather choose to explore the full extent of our potentialities, for human nature imbued with a firm, unsullied will can make us even "higher than angels."
         Incidentally, eaglets trying to learn to fly fall to the ground several times. But they try and try again.  And soon, they can with ease soar to the skies. (Some blue eagles I know have gone through the same routine.)

We Need You, God

                When the going gets tough
                 Every crossing is rough;
                 No calm weather in sight,
                 Each week a typhoon's might
                 Enters our country's isles,
                 Drowning lowlands for miles.
                 Young crops unharvested,
                 Old dikes devastated.
                 Unscathed, only a lucky few...
                 Grieve not, Pinoys will start anew.
                 Overdue halcyon days, please come soon;
                 Drive away storm clouds and our wet monsoon!


           (This acrostic was blown in by the recent typhoons in the Philippines.)
           

BATHALA

                        By whatever name God, our Lord Almighty,  is called,
                        A pilgrim would know, and yet he may soon be appalled
                        To find that so many of our brethren are still blind.
                        How can our Creator be supposed to have driven
                        Apart rivalling faiths or religions of mankind?
                        Lost from the host of names that to God man has given -
                        A true Reverence for Him...  May we be forgiven!



              (One who worships Allah should not invoke his God to justify killing
                one who worships Jehovah. God by any name is Father of all.)
                

Jay Leno

             Just half an hour before midnight
             And all your worries turn to flight;
             Your TV host--a jawsting knight!
            
             Laugh, chuckle, or just smile a bit,
             Ere grudgingly the sack you hit;
             No gloom nor tears need end your day...
             Out, Woe, fly away! Here comes JAY!
       

"Weather, weather,lang."

        "Weather, weather lang..." sums up the rise and fall of the high and mighty.   No one would have expected Joseph Ejercito (Estrada) to rise from his rather inauspicious beginning as an expelled student from the Ateneo de Manila to President of the Philippines.  Neither could the son of a poor 'provinciana' born out of wedlock be thought capable of becoming Senate President of our country.  Instances of those who fell from their rarified heights of power and glory come to mind, but I dare not mention names lest I cause anger and/or embarrassment to those involved and/or their kin...including undoubtedly at least one member of my own clan. By way of further summing up Estrada's observation:  "Weather, weather nga lang, pero ang magiging 'weather' or destiny mo ay nasa sa iyong kamay."  Your fate is in your hands.

Who to Blame

                     With the popularity rating of our President diving to record lows, I keep asking myself if it is fair to keep pointing the 'blame' finger at him. It seems people have forgotten that we have three separate branches of government:- the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. Hence, if unpopular or bad laws were passed, the blame should be borne by the legislative branch. Perhaps, the President as Chief Executive may even refrain or refuse to implement or enforce a federal statute that he thinks will not be to the best interests of the citizenry. He may even ask the courts thru his subordinate executive officials to to rule on the constitutionality or legality of the measure (assuming that he had originally initiated or approved it in haste--as in the so-called universal health care law). Since many employers have evidently refrained from making any new-hires because of this new law, I think it is not too late for our leaders to take appropriate remedial action. Blaming the President is no remedy at all.

A Longer Life Span

              From the Science Channel hosted by Morgan Freeman (Channel 272 at Comcast), I gathered that the key to mankind's longer life span lies at the cellular level. The mitochondria which are supposed to accurately replicate our human cells (that die every ten days or so) become weak, unreliable with the passage of time. And the new or substitute cell that is supposed to replace the dead or dying one is not very accurately copied by its mitochondrium. There are trillions and trillions of cells in one human body with their corresponding mitochondria at their edges, surfaces, or rims. The cell 'copiers' must be kept healthy and strong by the individual who wishes to have more earth time to enjoy. Health gurus are correct in encouraging intake of good food as well as for us to exercise with moderation. In addition, a sunny, friendly disposition anchored in one's unshakeable faith in a Loving Creator should further add to the vitality of these cellular copiers.  Methuselah's secret lies in his spotless mitochondria.
            

WRECKAGE

              With age this physical body becomes a wreck,
              Retired from that rat race, I thought I got a break,
              Except that now I am feeling more aches and pains,
              Compelling me to use at times walkers or canes.
              Kneeling to pray becomes a risky enterprise,
              As without help I might not be able to rise.
              Goodbye to lithe and limber limbs that used to dance,
              Enough of rock; this old horse can no longer prance....
           

Demy's Complaint

        My friend, Demy, having read Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason", has often sought to debate with Iglesia ni Cristo followers on biblical/religious issues, most of which really could be resolved if the literal or layman's meanings of the texts are avoided. To maintain, for instance, that Joshua actually made the sun stand still simply because God is all-powerful and can do anything is to argue like a child in pre-school. Like most poems on exploits of Roland or Ulysses, these tales were not meant to be taken as factual accounts but as epics of the imagination, romances, songs by poets or bards writing or performing for ordinary folk or shepherds sitting around their camp fire.
        There is one other topic, however, on which Demy becomes even more agitated.  When an Iglesia follower cannot give his contribution (tithe) in a given week, he is recorded as 'owing' for that week.  For how long or for how many weeks he will be recorded as 'owing', I am not sure.  Then he says, "I am willing to contribute a tenth, even a third, of what I have. But 1/10 of zero is zero. If God will make me win the Megamillion jackpot, I will give 1/3 of my winnings to charity, especially to the homeless street children in our country. But not to your church, because everybody knows your church is already very rich with so many 'sambahans' (temples or places of worship) all over the world.  What I can't understand is why churches' monies are tax-free while that new-hire at Macdonald's is subject to all kinds of taxes by the IRS and the State..."
         It does seem unusual that not only the Iglesia ni Cristo sect but most (if not all) organized religions have rich coffers, the Vatican's material wealth/treasures, for example)... When Christ advised that we give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's, I believe He was referring to us all. 
         Speaking for myself then, my sou is for Caesar, my battle-scarred soul - for God.

(Truth) SCAVENGERS

                         Some scraps of truth from yesteryears' buffet
                         Could be the scavengers' repast  today.
                         A new interpretation may contain
                         Vintage secrets that might ease doubt or pain.
                         Excitement mounts as truth seekers surround
                         New hypotheses at the Science mound...
                         Grant us a larger share of that bounty,
                         E'en though undeserved, O God Almighty!
                         Restore our faith; while we have much to learn,
                         Survival of our souls is our concern.

Warblers I (a list of red); Warblers II (real warblers)

         I          Wine after steak is for sipping.
                    Algae may mean red tides are coming;
                    Rubies are precious gems for admiring,
                    Blood sometimes spurting, then dripping;
                    Lips open softly ready for kissing,
                    Eyes due to sleepless nights or prolonged weeping;
                    Rose petals falling after two weeks of blooming,
                    Sunset - just another day dying...


        II         Weber, Josepha
                    Amelita Galli-Curci
                    Roberta Peters
                    Beverly Sills
                    Lily Pons
                    Edita Gruberova
                    Renee Fleming
                    Sutherland, Joan

HILLARY

                     Hillary, your task is monumental;
                     In your unending pursuit of global
                     Lasting peace, you have shown unwavering
                     Leadership and skill in maneuvering
                     Antagonistic views to one template.
                     Romp on to Vict'ry with a new nameplate:-
                     You deserve to be our new Head of State!
 

PARIAH

                 Perhaps, 'no deal' is best deal for rogue nations,
                 Avoid business or trade contacts with them all;
                 Regard them as totally non-existent.
                 Ignore or snub their crazy provocations.
                A tough talker is a big bluffer...  Just call
                His bluff;  His poison is mostly non-potent.


                                 (This comments on tyrants in North Korea, Libya, and their ilk.)

FUTILITY (Re- The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict)

                 Forbear! No human being need be slain.
                Uncertain what the 'dead' can do, refrain!
                To free a vengeful but immortal soul
                Incites him to do acts you can't forestall.
                Let patience and diplomacy explore
                In amity solutions short of war.
                The problem with using the coup de grace--
                You might be inducing Man's LAST HURRAH!

The Big Bang (a revised version)

              A few days ago, Morgan Freeman reported a new version of the Big Bang which incorporates the idea of parallel and/or muliple universes.  It is now hypothesized that our cosmos is on (or in) a brane (or membrane) and that there are other branes, much like leaves or pages in a book.  About 13.7 billion years ago, our brane and another (probably parallel) brane came into contact with one another (like two hands clapping), resulting in the Big Bang, such that enormous energy from that other brane exploded into and spewed forth into our brane, thus creating the present cosmos we are in now.  It is possible that the Big Bang spewed into our brane the three different forms of matter/energy that cosmologists have named, to wit:- 4% ordinary matter (like the stars, galaxies, solar systems, etc. that formed or solidified about 7 billion years ago);  then 21% dark matter, which holds galaxies, star clusters, solar and planetary systems together; and 75% dark energy, which is also invisible with strong gravity and could be the force that is causing galaxies to accelerate or fly away from one another in all directions. It could also be surmised that dark energy may have been ejected subatomic quanta with speeds faster than light. Although invisible to humans, these must have spread faster and accumulated or piled up at the very rim or edges of our 'brane', thus attracting or pulling our galaxies away from one another. The alternative theory that a stronger repulsive force came out of the 'singularity' 7billion yeaars after the 'Big Bang' thus causing the accelerated expansion of the galaxies is hard for me to swallow. Shouldn't it be simpler to concede that it is the Creator's own invisible energy that is causing this attraction and acceleration?
              Extrapolating further from the above hypothesis, allow me to surmise that that other or parallel brane which blundered or bumped into ours must have been inhabited by beings possibly mostly constituted of living non-material energy; hence, unlike us with mostly material/physical components.  These alien beings could be the unexplained UFOs that have been visiting our world through various locations on Planet Earth as well as on other solar systems in the Milky Way where their brane somehow continues to have some point of contact and/or entry to ours. I suspect these beings can sense the energy patterns of our thoughts or even the divine spark of our souls. They may have perceived the powerful potentialities still hidden from mankind's full awareness.  Are they perhaps waiting for our continued development and 'enlightenment' before they openly contact us and communicate with us? Perhaps, they know, as we ourselves all know, that we have reached a critical fork on the road of our earthly existence--one leads to global desolation and extinction, the other to mankind's near deification.  We are no longer brutes; I trust we would be able to make the wiser choice.

FIND THE TRUTH

          False beliefs are born out of Ignorance;
          Ignorance blindfolds edification.
         Next, more charlatans rise to dominance.
         Doubters then shy away from religion,
         Trust in God Almighty is eroded;
         Hedonism becomes modern man's goal.
         Efficacy of Faith is corroded...
         Time to focus on the world of the soul:-
         Rid your mind and body of all things gross;
         Use your will--accept God's invitation.
         Those worldly temptations are mostly dross.
         Heaven is your soul's true destination!

RELIGION

                 Religion must and does evolve in time;
                 Enlightenment should not be thought a crime.
                 Let not 'literal interpretation'
                 Ignore Truth based on solid foundation.
                Galileo's supposed 'heresy'
                In due course proved to be no fantasy.
               Our sacred books need new interpreters;
               No one should stand on crumbling sepulchers.

Global Economy

                  Go to the Philippines, build there your factory;
                  Lower labor costs will ensure your victory.
                  Overhead will not be as heavy as elsewhere,
                  Bright and industrious but jobless graduates are there.
                  Ask a corporate law firm to represent you;
                  Legal services will surely be needed too.
                  Expert skills learned from our top-rated schools abound;
                  Cast your hiring net where good workers can be found.
                  Out there, everyone understands and speaks English;
                  New hybrid words you might also learn--in Taglish!
                  Obviously, we love the American culture.
                  Many came here in search of a brighter future;
                  Yours truly, too--So thanks for Uncle Sam's nurture.

DEJA VU

                Did I just dream that I was king eons ago?
                Egyptian vistas in my sleep sometimes did show...
                Judge not too harshly please, a young boy's brief kingship;
                Almighty God alone I know we must worship.
                Vizier Ay and his cohorts were all mistaken.;
                Unum Deum, I never should have forsaken.

The Twin Towers

           That catastrophic day in September
           Has compelled all of us to remember
           Existence here on Earth is an ember
           That we may briefly use till De(ath)cember...
           We should not complain if life seems transient;
            In God we can trust; hence, be reliant.
           No cause to decry or be defiant.
           True, three thousand deaths, sudden and senseless
           Overcame the weak-kneed and the feckless;
           We do need His Strength, lest we turn godless.
            Each fallen sparrow, the Almighty knows;
            Riven from body, the soul also goes
            Swiftly back Home...where forever it glows!
          

MAGNIFICENCE

      My great-grandfather had a bamboo hut,
      A mansion it definitely was not.
      Golden-hued light bamboo, its walls were made;
      Neatly thatched cogon grass, its roof gave shade.
      Its floors a-gleam from vigorous brushing,
      Fine coconut husks were for polishing.
      It snuggled down the foot of a small hill,
      Close by a dense growth... I remember still,
      Every uncle and male cousin hid there;
      No enemy patrol would ever dare
      Come to hunt us at that enchanted place.
      Escape with me now, we will leave no trace...

PREEMPTIVE ACTION

     Prevent NOW nuclear proliferation;
     Rogue nations seeking world domination
     Espouse and support senseless destruction.
     Enough with sanctions and toleration;
     Might is right, if there's no other option!
     Protect our world, our civilization;
     Those who spill blood to spread their religion
     Invite their very own extirpation.
     Vendettas start between rival factions,
     Expand ultimately to locations
     Around the globe with newer weaponry...
     Can we be sure what's in their armory?
     To trust a group inured in savagery
     Is difficult; therefore, we must forfend.
     Our helping hand in friendship we extend,
     Not once but thrice...then: - "All good things must end!"

AUDACITY

           A beggar in rags stood by the church door,
           Unshaven, unappealing to the core;
           Despite his unsteady voice and facade,
           Apparently a mere dime made him mad.
          "Come. come, be a good sport," he retorted;
          "I know WE have much more...  Be comforted;
          "Tomorrow, a real treasure will be thine.
          "You see, more than a trillion worlds are mine!"
          

Thy Will Be Done

                  The reason why we have evolution:-
                  He loves and sustains His whole creation.
                  You ask:-  Then why nova, star destruction,
                  Whole galaxies destined for collision,
                  In earth years left our Sun, just five billion?
                  Let not the above cause desperation;
                  Look, from supernovae new stars are born.
                  Births, deaths, rebirths--events we cannot scorn,
                  E'en now, we pray to see a brighter morn.
                  Divine energy cannot be destroyed;
                  Our resurrection, we cannot avoid...
                  New Age for homo superior, we forecast:-
                  Eternal life and bliss with our Lord, at last!

Al Qaeda, Awake!

                    A group of Muslims led astray by Hate
                    Left a trail of death indiscriminate;
                    Quranic prohibitions not to kill
                    Are totally ignored as they did spill
                    Even the blood of innocent children,
                    Dishonoring 'Islam', their own brethren,
                    And dealing unto themselves this grim fate:-
                    A short and certain path to Saitan's Gate.
                    Why not change course and follow the mystic;
                    A Sufi suggested this old technique:-
                    Kill not your foe, make him instead your friend;
                    Enemies to friends, then all wars will end.

The Playing Field

                   The Democrats' obsession  of providing a 'level' playing field
 for the citizenry is an illusory will-o-the-wisp. All men are created with
 imperishable souls, but no man is really 'equal' to any other individual.
 People have different ancestors, familiy ties, different upbringing, different
 cultural backgrounds, skills, inclinations, financial and educational or
 intellectual levels, biases, predelictions, even illnesses and destinies.
 Obviously, a baby born in Africa can hardly be said to be 'equal' to one
 born in America.  From birth, each of us is provided with an
 'unlevel' playing field. It is up to the individual to confront and
 surmount the obstacles in his course. If we play well and hard and cleanly,
 we may also race past life's challenges and hazards--
 and rise to eminence....      Isn't that so, Mr. President?
           

IMMORTALITY

                       I am a tiny point of energy
                      Made into this material human form;
                      My purpose is to work in synergy
                      Overtly with The Teacher to transform,
                      Renew, enlighten, and revitalize
                      The human race so that it may acquire
                      A clearer perspective, and realize
                      Life is not transient, but He would require
                      Intensive spiritual preparation...
                      Truth will prevail, so fear not oblivion;
                      You and I will have His benediction.

Hold Your Temper

                  How many times have you felt like killing,
                  Or wielding your knife to see red blood spilling
                  Like a torrent from a gaping sewer?
                  Did you ever break your fists in anger?
                  You know even Death gives you a 'close' call
                  Oft when your fury leads to a pitfall.
                  Unchecked, your ire will sooner or later
                  Reward you with a burden much greater
                  Than just regret;  You will be scarified,
                  Even when you think you were justified.
                  Most wrongs against you can be rectified
                  Peaceably and more swiftly than plucking
                 'Eye for an eye', a practice most shocking.
                 Revenge though sweet, Remorse will come knocking...

                              (Lest this be misunderstood, above advice
                               is directed to myself.)
              
                

The Holy Grail

                      There are many stories about the Grail;
                      However, without factual foundation
                      Every account seems like a fairy tale.
                      How did a chalice turn into a cup
                      Of ordinary wood?  When will we stop
                      Looking for a new interpretation?
                     You recall the 'Da Vinci' variation?
                     Galahad's vision was evanescent,
                     Rossetti's painting is magnificent...
                     A cup or chalice, where is it hiding?
                     I say-- wherever God's Love is present.
                     Look within you.  It is there abiding!
                          
                  

BUCAYAB

                       Behold the barren hills framed by a newborn day,
                       Unveiled by a fast-rising tropic sun...
                       Could that small virgin valley where we used to play
                       At least remain as lush and green as yesterday?
                       You weep....  You know Bucayab is long gone;
                       A cloud of dust and smoke pollutes the air,
                       Bold motorists now own the thoroughfare...

BEAUTIFUL

                       
                      Be not unkind to that tiny spider,
                      Eight-legged ugly bug-eating wonder;
                      At dawn he starts weaving his fragile snare,
                      Unwary gnats and mosquitoes beware...
                      That sticky web is more than just a trap;
                      It reminds me of a galactic map,
                      For it catches both dew and morning light,
                      Uncov'ring rainbow colors to my sight.
                      Look, it is an astronomer's delight!

STUPIDITY

                       Supposedly an old tenet requires
                       The killing of a daughter who attires
                       Unashamedly in Western-style clothing.
                       Pronouncing her an object of loathing,
                       It then destroys two lives;  What an outrage:-
                       Death and damnation!  In this day and age,
                       I can't believe such a belief exists;
                      There is a God of Mercy, He subsists!
                      You shall not kill, the Holy Book insists.

PNOY AQUINO

                     Pray, countrymen, that this new regime will succeed,
                     Not only in ending thievery, corruption
                     Or 'wang wang' abuse, but also corporate greed.
                     Your patience, courage, and kind cooperation
                     Are indubitably desired and requested.
                     Quijotic charges against the 'pirates' will be
                     Useless unless all the 'big wigs' are convicted;
                     In lieu of bribery, let's all try honesty.
                     NoyP, your leadership will surely be tested...
                     Onward and Godspeed--to Peace and Prosperity!

The Virgin Mary's Assumption Revisited

          This being the month when the Assumption of the Virgin Mary took place in Ephesus,  I decided to take one more look at the traditional background of the event just to check if my earlier conclusions/findings were wrong.  It appears that when the people who went to check the cavern or tomb where Mary's deceased body was placed, they found only the shroud but no body.  They did not actually see Mary 'ascend' body and soul up into Heaven.  They just supposed that she did 'ascend' body and soul because they found no body there.   Finally, when the Pope declared as dogma Mary's Assumption, repeat, Assumption into Heaven, he did not say 'ascend', but rather 'assumed' body and soul to Heaven. One can be assumed into Heaven without having to ascend or rise up like a baloon to Heaven.  In my view, the Assumption 'body' and soul of the Virgin Mary can only refer to a non-physical or 'transfigured' body which would not require the normal necessities of a normal human body, like food, oxygen, water, etc., otherwise where would such a physical body be in God's spiritual domain? And where in Heaven would the Virgin Mary go for her other normal human body necessities?
Oftentimes, we encounter seemingly improbable stories that on the surface appear absurd.  Rather than rejecting them outright as pure fantastic tall tales, let us give the witness/es what we usually term "poetic license", for human speech can never fully nor truly describe events wrought by the 'hand of God'.  By way of a final concession, always there seems to be an exception to any rule. Hidden in the midst of the common herd, a unique specimen may for a time remain unnoticed. Then all of a sudden something miraculous happens.  Incredible, hard to believe, but undeniably true!
          For instance, the law of gravity applies to all material/physical beings or things.  All right, I was mistaken.  Our Beloved, the Virgin Mary is The Exception!

PROVIDENCE

                    Poor Planet Earth is not that poor at all,
                    Rejuvenating her must be global;
                    Our climate change is a form of healing,
                    Virtually all earthquakes we are feeling
                    Involve tectonic plates that are shifting.
                    Do pray a rebirth would be uplifting.
                    Extinction has occurred and may again,
                    New life-forms our Planet Earth may regain...
                    Can you see some hope for the human race?
                    Eureka!  We bear our Creator's 'Face'!

INJUSTICE

                   If a fundraising fee can cost
                  Nearly forty-thousand a plate,
                  Just what does this fact demonstrate?
                  Unknowingly, that some have lost
                  Somehow their empathy to hear
                  The people groan:- " Be moderate!"
                  Instead, they spend on without fear.
                  Could you believe..?  One dinner plate
                  Equals my income for a year!

MULTIVERSE

                 Most scientists suspect a multiverse exists;
                 Uncovering more proof is obviously needed.
                 Let me then be bold and remind cosmologists
                 That there are indeed many mansions provided,
                 In the words of Jesus Christ, "at His Father's Place."
                 Visionaries, mystics, and prophets have long sought
                 Elysium that neither Time nor Death can deface...
                 Rejoice, for we shall soon behold what God has wrought;
                 Souls released from space-time barriers can always
                 Explore the Lord's Multiverse at the speed of thought.

THEOLOGY

                'Time did not exist before the Big Bang;
                 Hence, there was no time for God to create.
                 Ergo, no need for God, just yin and yang,
                 Only forces natural and innate.'*
                 Lest you be swayed by Hawking's reasoning,
                 Ontology and logic must dispute
                 Godless multiverses out of Nothing.
                 You need a First Cause, that you can't refute.



                                     (*A restatement or rephrasing of Stephen Hawking's position.)

COMPASSION

                    Could you not see me as you pass me by?
                    Oh, I sense what you're thinking:- "Don't come near
                    Me, Stinky Bum! Go somewhere else, goodbye!"
                    Pardon me, sir;  Perhaps, I did miss it.
                    A kind word I thought I could get from here;
                    Sorry, I have to cut short my visit,
                    Since Compassion dwells not in you, I fear.
                    I carried the cross for the Nazarene,
                    On long roads I still travel, far and near...
                    No, never did the Christ call me 'Unclean'.

GRATITUDE

           God gave you life on Earth to serve and strive,
           Receive His blessings and His bounty too,
           As well as special gifts so you may thrive.
           Trials and temptations will confront you...
            In time, Death will call you to his embrace;
            Tribulations that beset you will be gone.
           Up there, you will see the Lord face to face...
           Death will then let you know what you have won:-
          "Eternal bliss--yours by God's Divine Grace!"

GULLIBILITY

                  God gave us our common sense to use
                  Unsparingly, yet many refuse,
                  Locked in their dark brainwashed world of hate,
                  Loath to learn and to investigate
                  If true that our towers are evil...
                  But where in the world dwells the Devil?
                  In fact, his minions are everywhere.
                  Look first within yourself, if you dare...
                  I also to a jihad must go;
                 There are fences to repair, I know.
                 Yes, my wayward self is my own foe.